|
|
Welcome to the InterfaithForums forums. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions, articles and access our other FREE features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload your own photos and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact support. |
|
|||||||
| Religious Debate Debate religions and religious topics. |
 |
|
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | Display Modes |
1st October 2008, 07:44 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Sorry, but I disagree
Quote:
In any culture, while some people may be at the leading edge technologically, educationally, in terms of sophistication, etc, not everyone will be, and some will lag behind considerably. You cannot, meaningfully, cherry-pick which groups "are" and which groups "are not" part of 21st century society; they are all present, they all represent layers of opinion and socio-cultural attitudes present now, and today, and you have to take them on that basis. Furthermore I would have to reject your fundamental argument; in fact the Taliban are, precisely, a 21st century movement, which would have been inconceivable at a much earlier era. IT is their embrace of modern technology cheap transportation, high levels of disposable income (leading to fat contributions to "the cause") -- in other words all features of modern life -- that makes such a group possible. Moreso for a group like al-Qaida, which is organized (we are expected to believe) on a multi-national rather than bi-national footing.
__________________
Grassaf, Eolas 
|
|
1st October 2008, 08:02 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Metis,
"My point is that religion is more than just a set of beliefs-- it's community as well. We see this with Buddhism, which is non-theistic, and yet the feeling that community, including the sangha (communities of monks, nuns, and students), is very important. One need not believe in a deity to appreciate what community can do." That is very true. I belong to a Unitarian Universalist Fellowship which has a lot of non-theists in it, including yours truly. This is a group that doesn't share any particular belief in God but, as a group of like-minded liberals on a spiritual path, we are members primarily for the fellowship with one another.
|
|
1st October 2008, 08:15 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
It appears you are taking this a lot more seriously than I am as this issue appears to me to be merely one of semantics not substance. To me, "21st Century" is shorthand for a group of people who are taking full advantage of modern technology and knowledge. As for what I said being "racist" you'll need to give me more details. What race did I offend since I made no mention of any race? I agree with you that I was making wholesale generalities which also makes me uncomfortable. Perhaps I should have simply said that, in my mind, when she said "21st Century" it was a code for "modern". As for the Taliban, I was thinking of their values as being 15th Century. Specifically their treatment of women and their desire to bring about governments based on religious principles reflect a desire to move societies to the past, not build on what we've learned and how we've grown into the 21st Century.
|
|
1st October 2008, 09:26 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Yea...it's all fun and games when...
...people hang Barack Obama in effigy, too.
 The tone is that one is dismissing huge numbers of people as nothing more than a bunch of quaint natives because they are not "taking full advantage of modern technology and knowledge". That is highly objectionable., The fact is that " modern technology and knowledge" is not evenly distributed around the globe; even within societies, such as those in North America and Europe large numbers of people cannot "taking full advantage" of these things because they have restricted or no access to them. And, disproportionately, those groups with limited or no access are not from privileged North American and European elites. Suggesting that they are some how not "of the 21st Century", not fully as "modern" as you, is wrong.... Worse it is not acceptable with sociology; and the question is posed as a sociological question. If it was posed on some basis, then such observations (while they might still be racist, elitist, classist, etc.) might be more properly advnaced.
__________________
Grassaf, Eolas
|
|
2nd October 2008, 12:38 AM
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
I've known jacknky long enough on this and another forum, and I've read enough of his posts to categorically state that I'm quite positive he's no racist.
__________________
"The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge."-- Einstein
|
|
2nd October 2008, 12:42 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Maybe not...
Quote:
But that isn't what his words suggest to me, at all. Quite the opposite, in fact.
__________________
Grassaf, Eolas
|
|
2nd October 2008, 01:16 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
I would never suggest accusing someone of racism unless you knew for certain that he/she was. Since racism would be very much a violation of Buddhist dharma, and since jacknky has stated on many occasions he is Buddhist, I can't see where racism would even remotely fit in to his thinking. What he was obviously attempting to deal with was modernism-- not racism. I think he might have chosen different words to express himself, but no where does he suggest that race was a factor, so that was merely your interpretation. Listen EP, I've undoubtedly read hundreds of his posts over the years, and never did I ever feel he's racist. You need to back off, or I'll definitely make the recommendation that you be censored or removed. One should never assume guilt on something of such a serious nature.
__________________
"The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge."-- Einstein
|
|
2nd October 2008, 02:31 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Do you think most people will be less able to feel compassion in their hearts if they don't believe in God?
To me religion teaches compassion as well as morality and ethics.. Once a society is established say in a moral ethos and compassion people have these values instilled into them and their belief say in God may vary.. but their value system is instilled say from an early age.. - Art 
__________________
"it benefits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory of our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God." - Johannes Kepler
|
|
2nd October 2008, 06:06 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
"What he was obviously attempting to deal with was modernism"
That's very true, metis. Thank you for clarifying. I think I've said enough on this matter which I thought was a minor issue.
|
|
2nd October 2008, 06:15 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Art,
"To me religion teaches compassion as well as morality and ethics.." To me, religion is a tool that is used by some to promote compassion and by others to promote non-compassion toward those who are different such as heathens, infidels, liberals, homosexuals and so on. It's my understanding that the Buddha taught we all more or less have the capability to feel compassion and that it is our ignorance that causes us to lose sight of our compassion. So it seems to me that yes, as you say, religion can be a tool that helps move us toward compassion but it isn't the only way or a requirement. There are too many non-believers who appear very compassionate for me to conclude that religious belief is necessary to lead a compassionate life. I don't think you said it was but I was curious what you thought about the issue.
|
|
| Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
| Display Modes | |
|
|
Linear Mode
